Is Nursing right for me?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm 24 years old with just an Associates degree in Liberal Arts. I'm single with no children at all. I would only be supporting myself. I already took all prerequisites except Anatomy and Physiology. I did take Anatomy and Physiology 1 and actually attended class two times, but dropped it. I did take General Biology (the prereq) in 2008, but there is so much info in the class and I can't even understand it. It was like a foreign language to me. I took Microbiology and really loved it. I dropped out of the class because 1) The waitlist is four years. 2) Afraid I would fail the TEAS test. 3) Too much info in A & P. 4) Wondering if Nursing is really for me, what if I start the career and decide I don't like it? 5) Nutrition is my true passion, but could I really find a job as a Registered Dietitian and the pay is not as good as good as nursing. 6) The long hours in nursing, 12 hour days standing up all the time and high stress.My aunts are nurses and told me to get anything past a BSN would simply be too much stress. They are burnt out too. I want a career though. Should I be a dental hygienist, xray tech, registered dietitian or for the long road even a physical therapist or pharmacist? The reason I'm drawn to nursing is the benefits, health insurance, plus I do love to help people and make them feel better. I'm quite shy though and wonder if that would be a negative as you have to talk to patients families.Finally, the job situation I hear new nurses not getting any jobs and I do not have a background in health care at all. This is the same for just about all professions I read up on though. What would be your opinion on what I should do? I can never make up my mind and change it every day.Sorry about the one long run on paragraph but I had it separated into four paragraphs or five and it will not post that way.

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Nursing is a great rewarding career. It's a lot of work, time, effort, and energy. If nursing is not your passion then don't do it. You have to find a career that's right for you. Good Luck!!!!!

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I was unsure if I wanted to be a nurse when I first started school. It is a lot of studying, a whole lot of stress, you have to isolate yourself alot. Plan on many weekends of not being able to hang out with your friends. I do recommend that now would be the time for you to do it since you are single and have no children. Since I have been in school and have done clinicals I know that this is the right career for me. You cannot be half-way in in this program. You're either completely committed or you'll find yourself failing classes. Good luck with your decision!

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I was unsure if I wanted to be a nurse when I first started school. It is a lot of studying, a whole lot of stress, you have to isolate yourself alot. Plan on many weekends of not being able to hang out with your friends. I do recommend that now would be the time for you to do it since you are single and have no children. Since I have been in school and have done clinicals I know that this is the right career for me. You cannot be half-way in in this program. You're either completely committed or you'll find yourself failing classes. Good luck with your decision!
Thank you. Is there any way to come to a decision quicker? I don't want to make a mistake and yes, I'm not sure I'm 100 percent in it. Nutrition is my true passion, but the money is not there compared to nursing... Lol... But I want to be happy too. I'm questioning Registered Dietitian because of the one year unpaid internship that is very competitive to get into. I could always become a Physician Assistant later down the line if I wanted more money with Registered Dietitian, right?
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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I think PA is another year or two of school after your Bachelors. I don't think RD gets you any further toward PA, but it won't set you back; you'll just have that program to complete.

If nutrition is your passion, that's what you should do. It is not worth it take a job, particularly one as stressful and crazy as nursing, if you're going to spend your life dreading it. No one will pay you enough to make it worth stressing about work during your time off.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Do nutrition.

You want a job you love, and the money will come later.

Honestly, I think nursing or PA school might be a struggle for you based on what you told us, and if the passion isn't there, it will be a miserable few years for you that may end with feeling jaded enough you can't enjoy your job or the money it brings.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

All of the careers you mentioned - they have to take A & P also! All health care professionals need to understand how the human body works. But you are wise to explore other health care careers, nursing may be the most widely known, but it is not the only one. Ask around to discover which ones are in high demand in your area. In my part of the country, ultrasonography jobs are begging for applicants!!!

I'm thinking that you should try another A & P instructor. If you did well in Micro, you certainly have the intellectual horsepower for A&P. A talented educator can make all the difference.

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Your post was a little all over the place, but I think you should just stick with nutrition. You are just looking for a job, and nursing takes passion too which you don't sound like you would have for that career field.

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Don't do nursing if the only thing that attracts you to it is the money. You will end up regretting your career later in life if you don't really love it. Nutrition is a great field with opportunities. I had to take a nutrition class for my prerequisites and my instructor seemed to be quite successful in the field. Though it does require graduate school to become certified, if you really love it, you should do it!

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I am SUPER shy, but have been working as a CNA for the last 3 years and now working with patients and families is like second nature to me (it WAS hard at first though).

After working as a CNA, I pretty much knew that I was set on nursing. You said you love to help people so nursing could definetly be for you.

Another career you may want to check out is Speech Pathology. If I wasnt in nursing school this is what I would have done. You are still helping people , but do make more money than a nurse. You would have same benefits as they are needed in hospitals, agencies, etc. You would probably have a good chance of getting a job too. School for it is not competitive either - at least here where I live. Anyone can take the classes to get your bachelors and then masters. You can also go on to get your phd.

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

You should shadow some different positions and find out what they do. Trust me....the money doesn't amount to the work you put in. Depending on where you live, nurses generally make $50,000 to maybe $70,000 (if you live in a state that has high living costs). It's really not that much money when you look at the responsibilites you carry. Nurses do burn out. Its a high stress job depending on where you work. Go with what you love. Nursing school can take a toll and there are lots of sacrifices that you will make.

I see this many times in the pre-nursing section where students go into nursing because they figure its a great second option or a family member does it, so why not me. Some students have no idea what career they want, so I guess nursing should be easy enough. It's not easy! Some people spend 2-3 years just to apply, then have 2-3 years of nursing school just to have basic nursing skills. Then you get hired and have 6 months of on-the-job training which to just master your skills. It can be up to a year to even feel comfortable enough to carry out everyday nursing without feeling overwhelmed. You need to make sure you want to do it. Shadow a nurse, x-ray tech, pharmacist, dental hygenist, physical therapist in different areas and see what they do. You will know if you want it after you have witnessed the responsibilities. You can also meet with an academic adviser and let them help guide you toward a career. What's the point in making a little more money if you aren't happy?

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I am SUPER shy, but have been working as a CNA for the last 3 years and now working with patients and families is like second nature to me (it WAS hard at first though).After working as a CNA, I pretty much knew that I was set on nursing. You said you love to help people so nursing could definetly be for you.Another career you may want to check out is Speech Pathology. If I wasnt in nursing school this is what I would have done. You are still helping people , but do make more money than a nurse. You would have same benefits as they are needed in hospitals, agencies, etc. You would probably have a good chance of getting a job too. School for it is not competitive either - at least here where I live. Anyone can take the classes to get your bachelors and then masters. You can also go on to get your phd.
What exactly does a speech pathologist do? I'm slightly familiar with it, but not 100 percent sure. Where would I go to shadow all these types of jobs? I'm not sure how to go about asking. Registered Dietitian does sound like what I'm most interested in, but as you can see I'm undecided and all over the place. I worry about there not being enough jobs though for RD. There are many more nursing jobs. Thanks very much for the all the advice. It really helps getting all of your input.
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